Many of us are confused when asked what is an Oxford comma? The Oxford comma is a comma that can be used just before the word ‘and’ after a list. As an illustration:

“I am going to the court with my parents, Martha, and Mark.”

So, what’s the deal with the comma between “Martha” and “and”? To assist the audience in understanding that all three are distinct individuals and that Martha and Mark aren’t his parents. You might say,

” I am going to the court with my parents. “ If they were your parents.

When Should You Use an Oxford Comma?
Students looking to understand what is an Oxford Comma, often get confused about when to employ an oxford comma. They should be aware that the use of an oxford comma is elective. Even though it is relatively common in American English, it is not used in the United Kingdom, South Africa, or Australia.

It is entirely up to you to choose whether or not to employ the Oxford comma. Nevertheless, the use changes greatly depending on the writing style you use. Because ‘and’ is a conjunction, it should be followed by an oxford comma to unite two separate sentences.

For example, “On Tuesday, we’ll see Big Ben, and on Wednesday, we’ll go to the London Eye,”

As you can see, the statement above comprises two distinct parts; the oxford comma is placed just before conjunction ‘and.’

The Importance of the Oxford Comma
What is the purpose of the Oxford comma? Whatever the debate about oxford comma regulations, the primary objective of the oxford comma is to construct an unambiguous statement. The Oxford comma is used by central literary style guides such as the American Psychological Association (APA), American Medical Association (AMA), and the Chicago Manual of Style. The APA style guide and the University of Oxford style guide utilise the Oxford comma

to avoid misunderstanding.

Using an oxford comma allows you to communicate your ideas as plainly as possible. As an illustration, consider the following:

“Sarah went back to get her kids, Mike and Lily,” is incorrect.

But, on the other hand, “Sarah went back to get her kids, Mike, and Lily,” is correct.

Mike and Lily seem to be Sarah’s two kids without using the Oxford comma. However, the addition of the oxford comma indicates that Kate went back to get her kids along with Mike and Lily.

Examples of Oxford Comma
Have you figured out what is an Oxford Comma? Do you want to know how the Oxford comma works? Check out the following Oxford Comma Instances:

Example 1:
“I am going to meet my parents, Mike Jordan, and Peter Pan,” without the Oxford comma.

The absence of an Oxford comma in the above statement implies that you will meet your parents, Mike Jordan and Peter Pan. It does not make proper sense.

Consider using the Oxford comma: “I will meet my parents, Mike Jordan, and Peter Pan.”

You can see that the sentence now conveys a clear concept about the people and cartoons that you are meeting.

Example 2:
“Max started the ride with his old girlfriend, a teacher and a retired police officer,” without the Oxford comma.

” Max started the ride with his old girlfriend, a teacher, and a retired police officer,” with an Oxford comma.

A single comma separates an uncomfortable hike with two people from a potentially enjoyable trip with four people. Punctuation aids in making clear what you want your audience to understand.

Example 3: “Andrew went back to get his fiancée, a surgeon and an architect,” without the Oxford comma.

“Andrew went back to get his fiancée, a surgeon, and an architect,” with an Oxford comma.

Based on the first statement, we may deduce that Andrew’s girlfriend is both a surgeon and an architect. However, the statement means something completely different once we insert the Oxford comma. It now follows that Andrew drove with three different people: his fiancée, a surgeon, and an architect.

We hope that the examples above have helped you understand what is an Oxford Comma and have removed all misunderstandings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Oxford Comma?

The Oxford comma is the last in a list that appears before ‘and’. For instance: Try bringing me a sharpie pen, marker pen, and notebook.

What is the importance of an Oxford Comma?

The Oxford comma, according to advocates, is required for resolving confusion in texts.

Which type of English uses Oxford Comma?

American English users predominantly use Oxford Comma.

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